


The World We Left Behind

by AthenaPantheon



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Disabled Character of Color, F/F, F/M, Father-Daughter Relationship, Father-Son Relationship, Implied/Referenced Abuse, M/M, POV Third Person Plural
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:08:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24650017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AthenaPantheon/pseuds/AthenaPantheon
Summary: Kieran Brooks and Tara Fuentes are the Sole Survivors of Vault 111. Kieran is tasked with not only searching for his son, but looking out for Tara and making sure she survives. They fight through raiders, feral ghouls, and super mutants alike. But what happens when Tara leaves him in the dust to join the Brotherhood of Steel?
Relationships: Duncan MacCready & Synth Shaun, Female Sole Survivor & Male Sole Survivor, Female Sole Survivor & Nick Valentine, Male Sole Survivor & Nick Valentine, Paladin Danse & Female Sole Survivor, Robert Joseph MacCready/Male Sole Survivor
Comments: 5
Kudos: 4





	1. Sanctuary Hills

When he woke, he felt nothing.

As the air left his lungs, a deep feeling of emptiness took its place. He raised a calloused hand and dragged it down his face; his palm felt wet as the tears on his face soaked into his skin. Kieran forced the darkness from his chest as he took a deep breath in. The nightmares had not left him that night, and he needed to chase them from his mind. The man squeezed his eyes shut for a moment to gather himself, then shot them back open. "Three things," he muttered. "Name three things."

The ex-soldier tried to keep his breathing even as he looked around his bedroom. First, he needed to find three things he could see. He looked to his right and saw the sleeping figure of his wife, Nora. Her chest slowly rose and fell with each breath she took. Just knowing that she was there comforted him. Then, he focused his gaze on the curtains. Small strips of sunlight peaked through them, and a small breeze caused them to dance. He shivered slightly, remembering that he had left the windows open overnight. Kieran rubbed his eyes, trying to force away the blur that had developed. He glanced over at his bedside table and saw his glasses sitting there. He had gotten them not long after he came home, as his vision had deteriorated. The man reached over and pinched the frames between his fingers, then slipped the glasses on.

Once he could see clearly, he focused on three things that he could hear. In the kitchen, he could hear the whirring of Codsworth, who was likely fixing breakfast for the couple. The robot butler hummed quietly to himself as he moved around the room. Outside, a lawnmower buzzed as it drove across a perfectly kept yard. One of his neighbors, most likely Mr. Whitfield, was trimming his grass. He would need to do that soon too. Finally, Kieran heard the chirping of birds. They sung a song only they knew the words to.

The only thing left to do was to move three parts of his body. He started out slowly, curling and uncurling his toes. Then, he rolled his shoulders, the joints popping and cracking as if he was 70. As he went to move his arm, Nora stirred. She cleared her throat as she did every morning, then flipped onto her side to face him. "Morning, hon," she mumbled. Her eyes were half lidded as she greeted him. The brunette scooted closer to him and laid her head against his chest. She frowned as she heard his erratic heartbeats, and glanced up at him. "Another nightmare?"

"Yeah," he replied, placing his hand on her hip. "But I'm fine. Don't you worry about me." He leaned forward and pressed a kiss against her hairline.

"It's my job to worry." Nora hummed and ran her fingertips across his arm. "I'm telling you, you should go see the therapist I talked about. She's really good. You know how much she helped me when you were gone."

"I know. I'll think about it, alright?"

"That's all I'm asking."

Kieran pulled her closer to him and buried his face in her hair. It smelled sweet, like a newly bloomed flower. He took in a deep breath and wrapped his arms around her. The two laid like that for another half hour, just enjoying each other's presence. When Kieran finally pulled away, he gave Nora a soft kiss. He untangled himself from her and slipped out of bed, stretching. "I'm gonna go out for a run," he explained when she gave him a pout. He smiled at that and caressed her cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too, you big dork," she replied automatically, shaking her head. "I'll go check on Shaun." She threw off the covers and stood running her fingers through her hair. "Can you grab the paper while you're out?"

“Sure.” He moved over to their dresser and pulled out some new boxers and running clothes, then slipped into the bathroom. He looked into the mirror and ran a hand along his jaw. The stubbles of hair scratched his hand, and he hummed. His beard was growing in nicely. He pushed his hair from his forehead and sighed. It was getting long, and he would need to get it cut soon.

During his time in the military, he kept his hair cut very short. After his service ended, he kept it in the same style. That was, until Shaun was born. He had let it grow out for a few months now. As he examined himself, he noticed that the red in his hair was becoming much more noticeable with length. He turned his head from side to side, giving himself a once over. This morning, his freckles stood out. He seemed to have a glow to his skin. He shrugged and threw on his clothing, deciding that he should get to running instead of focusing on what he looked like.

He exited the bathroom and turned into the kitchen. He was greeted by his Mr. Handy, Codsworth, and a steaming cup of coffee. “Good morning, sir! Here is your coffee; 173.5 degrees Fahrenheit, brewed to perfection!”

“Thank you, Codsworth.” He took the cup with a smile. He took a sip and winced as the coffee scolded his lips. “I’ll… come back for this. What’s the weather like today?” He set the cup down and walked over to the door, where his running shoes were.

“It’s currently 62 degrees out, and it should reach a high of 75 by this afternoon. There is a slight chance of rain this evening, but it is clear out.”

“Perfect weather for a run, wouldn’t you say?” He spoke as he laced up his shoes.

“Indeed, sir!”

“Go ahead and set the table. Nora will be out in a minute."

“Right away, Mister Kieran!” The Mr. Handy floated away, and Kieran shook his head with a smile. He was a little concerned when they first bought him. In the field, the Mr. Gutsys he worked with sometimes malfunctioned. He was afraid that the Codsworth could have a huge malfunction and hurt Shaun. The worry had faded, however, and Kieran learned to trust the robot.

As he left the house, he took in a deep breath. Sanctuary Hills always smelled clean, in a way. The neighborhood bots kept the area tidy and the plants trimmed. It was a dream compared to life in the barracks. The man rolled his shoulders and stretched a bit before he broke out into a leisurely jog. He waved to Mr. Whitfield, who was indeed mowing his lawn, as he passed. He took in a deep breath as he ran, enjoying the smells of the freshly cut grass. As he made observations, he felt himself relax. Morning runs always helped clear his mind of the dreams, and it gave him something to do. Since the end of the war in January, he had been lost. Kieran was good at what he did in the war. He and his spotter took down Chinese officers and sabotaged their supplies. When they weren’t fighting or doing reconnaissance, they were training. He was always busy. He kept himself busy during the final months of Nora’s pregnancy, but he was yet again without anything to do.

Kieran shook his head as his mind wandered, bringing himself back into the present. Soon, he would have his psych evaluation, and he would go back to work. But that wouldn’t happen for a while, so he needed to be there for his wife and son while he could. Kieran suddenly became aware of his breathing, and forced himself to take some deep breaths. He stopped in front of his house and checked his watch. He’d been out for half an hour already? He shook his head and sighed. The man bent down and picked up the paper that had been left in his driveway.

Across the street, he heard arguing. His neighbors stood in their driveway, looking very angry. Mr. Anderson was practically screaming, spittle flying from his mouth. Kieran couldn’t remember exactly what he did for a living, but he knew he never liked him. Years ago, the guy got pissed because Buddy, the family dog, was going through his trash. Kieran hadn’t been present, but Nora had said that he threatened to call the pound if he found him again. Their dog had recently gone missing, which raised Kieran’s suspicions. Around the time he got back from Alaska, Anderson’s new girlfriend and her daughter moved in with him. There had been plenty of times when they saw bruises on the woman, but she always blew them off.

Kieran watched intently, but didn’t process what the argument was about. Anderson balled up a fist and looked as if he was about to hit her, but he stopped. He glared over at Kieran and dropped his hand. He growled something to her and headed back inside. The woman, Ms. Fuentes as he recalled, shook her head. She turned and opened up the garage, where her daughter sat inside. He noticed that she wasn’t wearing her RobCo uniform, and figured that she had the day off. The younger Ms. Fuentes stood up from her chair, using a cane to balance herself. “Do your braces need a tune-up?” She was asked, referring to the metal wrapping around her legs.

He took a moment to take in their appearance. They both had light brown skin and dark hair. Both had sharp, square jaws and thin lips. But that was where the similarities ended. The girl had a slightly hooked nose and thick eyebrows. Her hair was short and curled, barely reaching the middle of her neck, while her mother sported long and straight hair.

Kieran briefly remembered his wife talking about the girl. She was closer with the pair, as she often held get-togethers. The girl had been crippled at a young age, but her mother and RobCo developed robotic stabilizers that she could control with an implant. She was extremely lucky. The Fuentes looked over at him, and his cheeks flushed. He had been staring. He raised a hand and waved, then ducked inside.

As he went inside, he bumped into Nora, who almost dropped her coffee. She gasped loudly and turned to him, scrunching up her nose playfully. “Watch it, big guy. You almost ruined Codsworth’s hard work.” She laughed softly but stopped when he closed the door. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just that Anderson guy being an ass.” He sighed softly and rubbed the back of his neck. “He almost hit her, but he saw me there.”

Nora shook her head and sighed as well. “Poor Amber. She really needs to get out of there. She keeps telling me she has it under control, but I’m worried about her.”

Kieran nodded and picked up his own mug. “Nothing much we can do right now. If she won’t admit it, he won’t ever face consequences.” He quickly downed his cold coffee and gave Nora a quick kiss. “I’m gonna go get dressed.” He set the cup down and headed over to their bedroom.

As he left the bathroom once again, Kieran peered into Shaun’s room. The baby hadn’t stirred yet, and he wasn’t going to wake him. He brought his dirty laundry into the laundry room, stepping around the Mr. Handy oil canister. He threw the clothes into the washer and started it up after adding detergent. He glanced at the trapdoor into the cellar. When he came home, he had started stocking up food. He was paranoid that the war wasn’t over, and insisted on preparing. Kieran laughed softly. Of course, it was over. They’d be fine. He left the small room and wandered back to the kitchen.

“Kieran, what time do we have to be at the Veteran’s Hall tonight?”

Oh, right. The Veteran’s Hall. Shit. “Around six, hon,” he answered. Nora must have seen the sudden worried look on his face, and smiled.

“You’re going to do just fine. You’re gonna knock them out of the park with that speech you have prepared.”

“You think?” He smiled and approached her, kissing her cheek.

“Absolutely.”

As he was starting to pepper her with kisses, a cry broke out. The two of them tensed out of reaction, and Codsworth perked up. “Ah, sounds like someone made a stinky! Not to worry, mum, I will attend to young Shaun.”

Nora relaxed as Codsworth left and smiled up at Kieran. “Codsworth is really good with Shaun. I’m glad we got him.” Kieran leaned in for another kiss, and the doorbell rang. His expression turned sour and he groaned. Nora laughed softly and slapped him on the arm. “It’s probably that Vault-Tec guy again. He’s been trying to see you for days.”

“And I’ve been avoiding him for days,” Kieran quipped back. He smiled and kissed Nora’s nose, then stepped back. “I’ll talk to him.” He quickly walked to the giant red door and pulled it open, greeted by a man in a tan uniform.

“Good morning!” He tipped his hat to him and stepped forward. “Vault-Tec calling.”

“Morning,” he replied casually, leaning against the doorway. “What can I do for you?”

“Actually, it’s what I can do for  _ you _ !” The representative laughed nervously, tapping his fingers against the clipboard he held. He cleared his throat. “I know you’re a busy man, so I won’t take up a lot of your time. Because of your service in the army, you have been pre-selected for entrance into the local vault! Vault 111.”

“Really? Huh.” He paused for a second. “There is room for my family too, right?”

“Of course! Aside from your robot, naturally.”

“So what do I need to do?”

“I just need you to fill out this questionnaire,” he said quickly, handing Kieran the clipboard. He sighed softly and took it. It wasn’t hard to answer. All they needed was the names of his family members, their previous occupations, and other information. It only took him a few minutes to fill it out. He handed the clipboard back to the other man with a tight smile.

“There you go.” Kieran half-listened as the man left and gave him a thank you. He closed the door and rubbed the back of his neck.

“Hey, it’s peace of mind, right?” Nora smiled softly as she looked up at him from the couch. “It’s worth it.”

Kieran leaned over and kissed her head. “I’d do anything for you and Shaun.”

Nora opened her mouth to respond, but Codsworth interrupted them. He floated towards the pair, mechanical arms bobbing up and down. “Mister Kieran,” he started. “Young Shaun can’t seem to calm down. I think he needs some of that paternal affection you’re so good at.” Kieran laughed softly. As nice as the robot was, he really didn’t know how to parent.

“Of course.” He patted Nora’s shoulder and headed back into Shaun’s room. He leaned over the crib and tickled his son’s chest. The baby cooed, and Kieran smiled. Before Shaun was born, he was terrified. Terrified that he wouldn’t be a good father. He worried every day. But after the fact, it seemed he developed his instincts. It was still hard some days, but he and Nora supported each other.

“Spin his mobile,” Nora spoke softly, announcing her presence. “He loves that.”

Kieran nodded and pushed the toy rocket, starting up the mobile. A soft melody played and Shaun giggled, watching in wonder. Kieran watched, eyes filled with love. He wrapped an arm around his wife as she stood by him, and rested his head on hers. The two sat in relative silence for a few moments, just watching their son.

The brunette looked up at him and smiled. “Hey, so I was thinking we could go to the park after lunch. Codsworth said the weather should hold up.”

“That sounds nice. I also want to pick up some pumpkins from Concord. We can carve them when we have the time.”

“I’d like that.”

“Sir? Mum?” Codsworth called out from the living room. “You should come and see this!”

“Codsworth? What’s wrong?” Nora called out, eyebrows furrowing. She picked up Shaun and the couple followed their bot’s voice. The T.V. had been changed to a broadcast station, and Codsworth pointed with a pincher.

The reporter sat on screen, listening into an earpiece. “...followed by, yes, followed by flashes. Blinding flashes. Sounds of explosions. We’re trying to get confirmation.” He paused. “We have seemed to have lost contact with the police stations. Wait- we do have something coming in. That’s, um, confirmed reports, I repeat confirmed reports, of nuclear detonations in New York and Pennsylvania. My god.” He ran a hand down his face, and the broadcast disconnected. Outside, sirens began to scream.

Kieran’s blood ran cold and he turned to Nora. “We need to get to the vault.”

“Wait, what about our stuff in the b-”

“There’s no time!” He shouted, pulling her to the door. He gently took Shaun from her grasp and held him close. “We’re gonna have to run. As quickly as you can, honey. I’ve got Shaun.” As the two of them left, he shot one last look at Codsworth. The man grimaced and shut the door.

The Brooks ran down the street, weaving between neighbors and friends alike. The two ran across the bridge leading up the hill, and he saw a large chain-link fence. Dozens of people stood outside, begging to be let inside. The Vault-Tec representative was shouting a guard. “You can’t do this! I  _ am _ Vault-Tec! I’m going inside.” He tried pushing past the guard, but a gun was pressed against his chest. He backed away and began to run. “I’m reporting this!”

Kieran quickly took his place, panting as he faced the guard. “Let us in! We’re on the list.”

The guard pulled up his clipboard and took out a pen. “Name?”

“B-Brooks,” he stuttered. “Kieran, Nora, Shaun.”

After a moment, the guard nodded. “You’re cleared. Head inside.”

“Thank you!” Nora gasped, and the two of them followed a guard up the hill. The guard led them to a platform, where some of their neighbors were standing. As they stood on the platform, the technicians began yelling about lowering them into the vault. To his right, the Fuentes girls were speaking in panicked voices. The girl looked up to her mother and asked, “What about Mike? He’s still at the house!”

“Forget him,” she replied. “He can take care of himself.”

Kieran took in a deep breath and turned to Nora. “It’s gonna be okay, hon. I love you. Both of you.”

“We love you too,” she replied in a teary voice.

Then, it came.

In the distance, a loud explosion shook the ground. His chest tightened and he shouted, “Look away!” Kieran grabbed Nora and pressed her to his chest, and turned his back to the explosion. People screamed all around him, but all he focused on was his wife and child. He begged God to have mercy and to spare them. As the platform lowered, a wave of heat blew above their heads.

When he opened his eyes, Kieran was greeted by the sterile smell and plain walls of the Vault. He let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and looked down. Nora was shaking in his arms, but she was alive. He hugged her gently and pulled back, looking down at Shaun. “Are you guys okay?” Nora nodded and sniffed, tears running freely down her face. He brushed a tear from her cheek with his thumb. Around him, his neighbors were sharing similar thoughts.

“Everyone!” The overseer spoke to them from above. “Climb the stairs in an orderly fashion and do what the doctors tell you.”

Kieran squeezed Nora’s hand and adjusted his hold on Shaun. The group of people made their way up the stairs, and Kieran followed without a thought. He crossed the walkway and stood in front of a Vault worker. She smiled and handed him two suits. “Here you are, sir. Just follow the doctor and he’ll take you to the changing room.”

“What about our son?” Nora asked, glancing at the baby.

“No suits have been made in his size, ma’am.” She replied in a professional but kind tone. “Just follow the doctor now.”

The doctor stepped out from beside the worker and smiled. “Alright you two, follow me.” As they began to walk down the hallway. “Once you change into your suits, you’ll be taken to the decontamination pods. When you’re cleared, you’ll be taken deeper into the vault for a physical exam and orientation.” He took them down another hallway and stopped between two doors. Nora turned to Kieran and smiled.

“I’ll take Shaun.” He transferred the baby to her arms and gave her a quick peck on the lips. They went their separate ways, and Kieran headed into the changing room. There, he saw Mr. Able and Mr. Whitfield. The two were talking among themselves, and looked to Kieran when he entered.

“Can you believe it?” Mr. Able asked, shaking his head. “Those commies finally did it.”

Kieran sighed softly and shook his head. “This feels like a bad dream. It’s just awful.” He pulled off his shirt, followed by his pants, and slipped on the vault suit. He frowned slightly as he tried adjusting the fabric. It was much tighter than he imagined. He felt odd wearing it, and like he needed to cover up. After a few minutes of fussing, he left and saw Nora standing there. She gave him a playfully smile and wink, causing him to turn red. Once the entire group had finished, he led them down to the pod chamber.

“Alright, just step into these pods and we’ll begin the process.”

“Um, this isn’t going to harm my braces, is it?” The younger Fuentes asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

“No sweetheart, you’ll be just fine.” The doctor gave her a smile, and she stepped into the pod.

Kieran looked down at Shaun, who was squirming in Nora’s arms. “It’s okay, little guy. I’ll be right over there.” He pressed his lips to the infant’s head, and then to his wife’s. “I love you.”

“I love you too, honey.”

Kieran turned and examined the pod. It was pretty big. Handles were on the ceiling, and there was a seat inside. He took a deep breath and stepped inside. The door closed behind him, and he looked across to Nora and Shaun’s pod. She gave him a smile and put her hand on the glass. He did the same and sat back as an automated voice began to speak to him. Some sort of gas sprayed into his pod. “The decontamination process starts in 5… 4… 3…” His eyelids began to feel very heavy, and felt all his muscles relaxing. As he faded out of consciousness, his last thoughts were of Nora.


	2. Vault 111

Kieran awoke with something akin to a brain freeze. He groaned softly as his eyes opened. His hot breath fogged up the window, and he moved to clear it, but found that his muscles didn’t want to move. It was like a bad case of sleep paralysis. He blinked a few times and tried to even out his breathing. What was happening? He slowly wiggled his fingers as he tried to bring life back to his body. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw two figures approach. One was dressed head to toe in a hazmat suit, and the other was a man dressed in what looked like something out of a movie. “There, this is the one.” The person in the suit, clearly a woman by the sound of her voice, pointed towards the pod across the hall. Nora and Shaun’s pod.

“Open it.” The man’s voice was deep and rough, and Kieran felt himself shiver. It reminded him of his commanding officers. He had a voice of authority. The woman moved to the controls next to Nora’s pod. The door opened with a hiss, and Nora coughed. 

“Is it over?” She asked, looking to the unfamiliar people. “Are we safe?” She clutched the baby closer to her chest, gently bouncing him up and down as he cried.

“Almost,” the man assured. The woman in the hazmat suit approached and tried taking Shaun from Nora. Kieran furrowed his eyebrows and slowly moved his arms up to the window. His movement was limited, but he was no longer frozen. 

“Come here, baby,” he heard the woman say as she grabbed the infant. 

“No, I’ve got him.” Nora shook her head and tried to take him back. Kieran heard the click of a gun, and a feeling of dread washed over him. 

“Let the boy go.” 

Her eyes widened and she tensed up. “No. No, I’m not giving you Shaun!” She bared her teeth like a wild animal, and before she could do anything, the man pulled the trigger. The bullet went straight through her forehead, knocking her back. Shaun began to scream as he was taken away, and the pod door shut again. The man said something to his partner, but Kieran couldn’t hear what. His ears rang as he tried to force his way out of the pod. He opened his mouth to scream but no sounds came. 

The man approached his door, and Kieran froze. “At least we have the backup.” He smashed his fist against the glass and the man cackled. As he left Kieran’s sight, the same gas leaked into his pod. He coughed as it filled his pod, and once again slipped into the realm of dreams. 

* * *

For the second time, Kieran came to with a headache. He groaned softly and looked around, trying to remember what had happened. His head was foggy, and his muscles felt like they were filled with lead. “Critical failure in cryostasis array.” The same automated voice called out, and Kieran’s head immediately cleared. His adrenaline began pumping, and his heart raced. He coughed loudly and looked around for a release latch. Nothing. If he didn’t get out soon, he would likely suffocate. 

Kieran glanced over at Nora’s pod and furrowed his brows. The strangers had opened the pod from the bottom, hadn’t they? He looked up and forced his arms to move. He grasped onto the handles that had been put in place for support and pressed his feet against the bottom of the pod. He pushed as hard as he could, teeth gritting. “Come on!” He cried out of desperation, his voice rough. With a few well-placed kicks, the door broke open, and he let out a breath of relief. The door slowly rose and he stepped out, only to immediately collapse. He grunted as he hit the floor and cursed. His legs were so weak, and he couldn’t remember the last time he felt that way. 

He crawled over to Nora’s pod and used the bars to hoist himself up. Tears sprang to his eyes and fell down his face. “Oh god,” he croaked, shaking his head. He shuffled over to the control panel and pressed the button in the middle. He stepped back as the door opened, and he almost fell back to his knees. Nora’s body was covered in ice. She looked just like she did when he fell asleep. A trail of blood ran down her face from the hole in her forehead. “Baby, no.” Kieran cried, sniffing loudly. “God, why?” He brushed his finger tips against her cheek and choked back a sob. He sat there for a few minutes as he tried to collect himself. With shaking hands, he removed the ring from her finger and shoved it into a pocket. “I’ll find Shaun. I promise.” 

Kieran wiped his cheeks roughly and took a deep breath. The ex-soldier looked around at the other pods and felt his shoulders fall. No one else was out. He walked from pod to pod, checking the vital signs of everyone he passed. “I can’t be the only one,” he said aloud. Finally, at the end of the hall, he found someone. It was the Fuentes girl’s pod. Leaning against the pod were her canes. Kieran quickly checked the pod and sighed in relief. Her signs were there, but just barely. He couldn’t tell if she was awake. Kieran quickly smashed the button on her panel, and it opened with a familiar hiss. He gently touched her arm and she gulped in a breath. Her eyes slowly opened and he helped her out, supporting her weight. 

“Is it done?” She asked, voice barely above a whisper. She rubbed her eyes and looked over at the man holding her. “You’re not the doctor.” 

In other situations, Kieran would make a joke. But he was too tired and distressed. He simply shook his head. “Miss Fuentes-” 

“Tara,” she interrupted. 

“Tara,” he started again, “something happened. The pods they- Vault-Tec did something, and now..” 

She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. “What do you mean?” She glanced over his shoulder and saw that the other pods were still full. Inside, people were absolutely still. There was no sign of any Vault-Tec employee. “Where is everyone?” 

“I don’t know.” He released her but kept his hand close in case she fell. The young woman turned to her mother’s pod, which was right next to her. 

“Why are we the only ones out?”

“Tara, this is going to be hard to hear.” Kieran swallowed as she turned to him. “You and I are the only survivors.” 

She froze in place, giving him a shocked look. “That can’t be right.” She turned back to her mother’s pod and shook her head. “No, you’re wrong.” She pressed the button and opened the pod, but nothing happened. “Mom?” She called out, waiting for a response. The woman did not move. The teen covered her mouth with her hand and closed her eyes. A few tears leaked out from the corners and she stepped back. She allowed the door to close and turned back to the man. “What do we do now?” 

“We try to find out what happened, and leave if we can.” He held out his hand to her. “I’m Kieran Brooks.” 

She shook it and glanced up at him. “Brooks? So Nora…” He shook his head. “I’m sorry.” 

“We can mourn once we know we’re safe.” He let out a shaky sigh and looked down at her legs. “Are you okay to walk?” He glanced down at her legs. A large piece of plastic was pressed against her outer thigh on either side, and a smaller piece was against her calves. On her inner leg was a long, thin piece of metal. Various straps tied the two together. At her hips and knees were large gears that gave her mobility. The hard plastic continued up to her hips, where it and the straps tied around her. She could remove them if she needed, he noticed, seeing that the vault suit was underneath the exoskeleton. Kieran had heard from someone, most likely Nora, that these braces were actually robotic parts. They were controlled by an implant in her brain that in turn allowed her to walk. He imagined that she had trouble keeping balance, which would be the reason behind her use of canes.

Tara wiped her eyes and cleared her throat. She picked up her canes and wrapped a strap around her wrists. The girl looked up at him and nodded. “I’ll be fine.” She kept her voice as level as she could and stood straight. “Let’s get out of here.”

The two of them walked down the hallway and left the pod chamber. To the left, Kieran saw a door into another chamber. He wordlessly moved over to the door panel, and switched the dial to “open”. He headed down one row, and Tara took the other. “Hello?” He called out as he examined the pods. The man shook his head in disgust. “Why would Vault-Tec do this?” 

“Money?” Tara suggested as she scrunched up her nose. “I can’t believe nobody else made it.” She shook her head and turned her head away. The dread was starting to set in. Her chest felt tight as she made her way back to Kieran, but she didn’t want to show her fear. She gripped her canes tightly, her knuckles turning white. She swallowed and glanced up at the redhead. “Can we leave?”

He frowned slightly and nodded. “Yes, of course. Come on.” He led her out of the room, and they returned to their original path. He pushed a table aside and stood before the exit door. He turned the dial, and the automated voice spoke out. He furrowed his eyebrows and sighed. “Guess we have to go another way.” He turned back to Tara, who was rummaging through the toolbox on the table. She ended up picking up the screwdriver and pocketed it. Kieran raised his eyebrows. 

“What?” She asked, shrugging. “It could be useful.” 

He snorted and turned to the door on the right. Luckily, this one opened. The two wandered down the hallway, but he stopped at another doorway. This door was open, and led to a trashed office. Junk was everywhere, and it looked like it had been ransacked. On the desk, a terminal sat intact. Kieran sat down on the chair and powered up the terminal. “I’ll be damned,” he mumbled as the screen came to life. He quickly scrolled through logs, skimming over the words. “It says that they had been there for at least 200 days, and they ran out of food.” 

He glanced up at Tara, and the two shared a look. “200 days?” She tilted her head. “So we really were in cryo pods.” She laughed softly. “If I wasn’t freaked out right now, I’d probably be excited.” 

“Me too, kid.” He stood from the chair and the two stepped back into the hallway. They soon passed a window that looked into a power room. Kieran practically jumped out of his skin when a large insect flew onto the window. He squinted at it and made a noise of disgust. “Oh, what the hell?” 

Tara peeked out from behind him and shivered. “I really hope we don’t run into it.” She moved over to the window and knocked on the window with the end of a cane. The insect flew away, wings buzzing. “That thing is bigger than my head!” 

Kieran moved over to the window and nodded. “Yeah, hopefully we can avoid them.” He hummed as he glanced down at the crate under the window. On it, a security baton lay abandoned. “Huh. I’ll be holding onto that.” He picked it up and flicked it, extending the baton completely out. He stepped away from the window and turned to the archway and paused. One of the bugs was crawling on the floor, using it’s antenna to feel around. “Um…” The bug then turned and fluttered it’s wings furiously, then flew at them. Kieran held out the baton and swung at it. It hit the wall and Tara quickly walked over and smashed its head under her boot. She scrunched up her face and stepped back. 

“That was... really gross.” 

Kieran stepped forward to examine the bug closer. It looked a lot like a common roach, but it was enormous. “I thought this place was supposed to be airtight. How did it get in?” He nudged it with his foot and sighed. “Great.” 

The two continued into what looked like a small recreational room. A bathroom was tucked away in one corner, and on the same wall a door led to a barracks area. Kieran adjusted his glasses and looked around. His stomach growled and he realized how he hadn’t eaten the morning the bombs fell. “Let’s look around for supplies here, and I’ll take the other room.” He headed into the makeshift barracks and sighed. It was the same story there. Everything looked ransacked and torn apart, like it had been ruined by feral animals. 

He started at the chests at the end of the bed, but they had been emptied of all valuables. He wasn’t exactly surprised, but he had hoped that something would be left. Finally, he found a box in the corner. There was a bundle of bobby pins inside. He walked back into the rec room and stood by Tara. “Hey, would you have any use for these?” He asked, holding the box out. 

She hummed and shrugged. “Maybe. Hold on to them.” She closed the cabinet door she had opened and shook her head. “I didn’t find anything but this,” she said, holding out an old holotape. “It’s just a game, but hey, it’s something.” She tucked the tape back into her pocket and let out a breath. “Those Vault-Tec guys really took everything here. I wonder if they got out.” 

“It’s possible. We haven’t seen any signs of them.” He rubbed the back of his neck and looked around the room one last time. “Let’s move on.” 

They backtracked a bit and opened the door to the room with the electricity columns. They stuck to the walkway, and when they turned the corner, two of the roaches took notice of them. Kieran stood in front of Tara and got into stance. The roaches went down quickly, with a combination of hitting them with the baton and squashing them. Kieran grimaced and wiped the bug juice off on his legs. 

Tara glanced down at what the roaches were messing with, and she immediately felt sick. Her stomach lurched and she turned away. A pristine skeleton, covered in a similar vault suit, was illuminated by the swaying light. The vault suit seemed almost brand new, aside from the layer of dust covering it. “God, that’s-” 

Kieran placed a hand on her shoulder and moved her away. He stared at the skeleton for a moment and shook his head. If the body had already become bone, with only the roaches to decompose it, how long had they really been down there? He figured that would be a question for another time. He led Tara out of the room and into another hallway. A small set of stairs led up to another room, and he could see more roaches. He quickly took care of them and the two of them entered what looked to be an office.

In the center, there was a huge crescent desk and a skeleton in a white lab coat. On the northern left corners was a group of filing cabinets, and directly in front of them was a fenced off section. The metal gate was slightly open, just enough to prevent being locked. To the right of that was a door to what Kieran assumed was another barracks. He approached the skeleton and kneeled down. “What happened to you?” He stood and sighed before he scoured the desk. Just laying on the surface was two stimpacks. “Nice.” he said mostly to himself, picking them up. Next to the terminal was a pistol. Kieran picked up the gun and quickly checked the chamber; empty. Luckily, there was a box of ammo right next to it. 

“We’re gonna need a duffel bag or something to carry all of this,” Tara noted as she searched through the filing cabinets. She smiled as she pulled out a few bobby pins that were hidden underneath a pile of folders.

“Good idea.” Kieran turned towards the fenced off area and pushed open the door. On the wall, there was a gun case. He could tell it wasn’t a standard, factory-made weapon. The case held some sort of improvised or crafted gun, and he pinned it down to be a plasma weapon. Of course, he could be wrong. He wasn’t an expert. Next to the case, there was a shelf with another gun. He glanced over his shoulder at Tara. “Hey, have you ever held a gun before?”

“Nope! My dad had a rule when I was a kid, and my mom upheld it after he passed.” She frowned a bit after she mentioned her parents. It was so odd and heartbreaking to think that she was now entirely alone. She was an orphan. Tara glanced back at Kieran and sighed through her nose.  _ I’m not entirely alone,  _ she thought. At least she had someone to look after her. 

“That’s okay. I can teach you once we get out of here, if you’d like.” Kieran bent down to pick up the duffel bag tucked away in the corner, and loaded the stimpacks into it. He scoured the back room for more supplies, but all he found was some more ammo. Now, they had about 30 rounds between the two of them. He made his way back to the desk and dropped the bag onto the dirty floor. Kieran picked the chair back up, then sat down in it, and turned on the computer. Luckily, it still worked. Most of the electronics in the facility still seemed to be intact, which was fortunate. 

First, Kieran unlocked the doors that were blocking them from leaving. Then, he scoured the entries, his frown deepening at every new page. “So, they did go through with the mutiny, but they also stole all of the food and pretty much every gun they could get their paws on. Seems like the good doctor here and his crew fought back. It ended bloody.” He stood up and ran a hand through his hair. “The last room will probably be filled with bodies. Just prepare yourself, and try not to look.” 

They proceeded down the hallway, and Kieran wasted nine bullets taking out a swarm of irradiated bugs. The final door was already opened, and Kieran felt his gut wrench at the site of the room. As he predicted, clothed skeletons were strewn around the room. Near a body, another roach seemed to be feeding. Kieran aimed the gun and closed an eye; something that had always helped him. He took in a deep breath, held it, and fired. The bug practically exploded and the duo entered the room. “Okay, now we need to figure out how to leave.” He quickly looked around the room and hummed.

“Well, I remember the doctor having a Pip-Boy. Maybe we could use that?”

Kieran shook his head with a smile. “Good idea. Again. How ‘bout you be the brains, and I’ll be the brawn?” 

She snickered at that, and replied, “Brawn? You? Don’t worry, I can be both. You can be… hmm… my emotional support.”

He laughed softly at that then cleared his throat, suddenly remembering that they were in a mass gravesite, and that they had more important things to do. Like getting out, for starters. Taking Tara’s advice, Kieran stepped over to the doctor’s body, where his arm had been detached. Kieran swallowed and bent over. He picked up the Pip-Boy, and the arm fell out. He quickly took a step back and cringed. “Alright,” he breathed. “Here it goes.”

Kieran flipped the switch on the side, and let out a sign of relief as the Pip-Boy booted up. He watched the loading screen, which was the famous “Vault Boy.” The character gave him a thumbs up at the Pip-Boy fully turned on. He quickly entered all of his inventory into the database, his name, and adjusted some settings. When he was done, he pulled a plug from the Pip-Boy and inserted it into a hole next to a large red button. The button began to glow a second after, and he lightly hit it with his fist. The vault door began to screech and spark, the rust in it fighting after not being used for so long. 

He stood next to Tara as the door was slowly pushed back, and looked into the Pip-Boy for a date and time. It said nothing, and he figured he would have to reset it once he figured it out. The walkway extended out as the gear-like door rolled out of the way, and the sole survivors of vault 111 looked at each other. It was time for a whole new life. Together, they crossed the walkway and stepped down the stairs. It was almost an exact mirror of their arrival. The elevator slowly lowered, and the two stepped on the platform. 

Kieran took a deep breath and looked up to the top. Nervousness flooded him. What if it really wasn’t safe? And even if it was, what if Shaun was long gone by now? He was pulled from his negative mindset by a smaller hand wrapping around this. He glanced over to Tara, who seemed to be as fearful as him. She didn't dare look at him, but she held onto his hand tightly. Kieran gave a tight-lipped smiled and squeezed her hand, trying to give some comfort to the teen. As they reached the top, the top doors cracked open and revealed the sunlight. The two covered their eyes and blinking as they tried to adjust. When their eyesight had returned, they were left speechless.

The world was not the same as the one they left behind. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you enjoyed this chapter, leave a comment! If you want to see what Tara and Kieran look like, I made a tumblr post. 
> 
> Link: https://slightly-sad-scribe.tumblr.com/post/620649118059151360/i-used-artbreeder-to-create-my-fallout-ocs

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed, leave a comment!


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